Travel Initiatives

In 2010, President Gordon kicked off Defiance College’s Imagine Campaign where he
asked the Defiance Community to Imagine the following initiatives:

Cultural/Performing Arts Initiative in which every Defiance College student has an
opportunity before graduating to attend a wide range of mind-broadening cultural experiences
such as symphonies, operas, ballets, musicals, and art and science museums.

DC to D.C. – An initiative in which every Defiance College student has an opportunity
before graduating to experience our nation’s history firsthand, traveling to Washington,
D.C., Philadelphia or other places of historical significance.

DC EDventures – A Domestic Travel initiative in which every Defiance College student
has an opportunity before graduating to travel for 7-10 days domestically with a faculty
member for an enrichment experience related to the student’s major.

DC Global is an opportunity for every entering full-time freshman who completes the
full four-year program at DC to travel to a foreign country during their years at
Defiance. These international experiences take place during the junior or senior.
They could be a course-embedded experience, a faculty-designed trip, a project of
your own design through the McMaster School, an Honors trip, or as a scholarship to
help pay travel costs for a semester or year-long study abroad program.

Imagine Initiatives are Rooted in Strong Learning Objectives.

Expand students’ knowledge related to the history, geography, economics, the arts,
political and social institutions, of this country (the U.S.) and / or countries and
cultures around the world.

Expand upon material learned in a traditional classroom setting through an experiential
initiative.

Provide opportunities that encourage the development of sensitivity, appreciation,
and understanding of American culture(s) and / or of different cultures.

Provide opportunities that encourage reflection on national and / or world issues.

Initiative Proposal Deadlines

The application deadline for the 2015-2016 academic year is 4:00 p.m., Monday, April
6, 2015. The proposal must be completed, then printed, signed and submitted in hard copy
to Rena Rager, Administrative Assistant, McMaster School for Advancing Humanity.

One-day proposals are accepted on an on-going basis by submitting the completed form
to Rena Rager, Administrative Assistant, McMaster School for Advancing Humanity.

Selection Process for the Imagine Initiatives

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee consisting of both faculty and staff. The Committee will provide the Provost with its recommendations; however, the Provost
will be responsible for the final approval of all trips.

2014-2015 Imagine Initiatives

ATTENTION STUDENTS: Approved Imagine Initiative trips for the 2014/2015 academic year
have been listed below. If you are interested in any of these upcoming initiatives,
please contact the trip leader by clicking on their DC webmail link.

LOCATIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE 2015/2016 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE ROME, DUBLIN AND
AMSTERDAM.

DC Global

Costa Rica

While the trip is open to any student at Defiance College, the men’s basketball team
has been afforded the opportunity to participate in international “friendly” competition
with local teams of Costa Rica, an extremely rare experience within basketball, and
college athletics as a whole. The agenda revolves around the team activities. Non-team
members will be afforded some additional cultural exchanges during team practice times
to help enrich their experience, but all group participants will attend games and
the service project. The group will engage in a service and volunteer experience
mentoring youth during a basketball clinic. Environmental issues specific to the rain
forest will be a primary focus of this trip. Exploring and experiencing this habitat
through a variety of “adventures” in rural areas of Costa Rica. The group will interact
with the environs and people that populate this remote region of Central America.

I See London, I See…

Spending a week in London, students will explore British history and the Royal family
and immerse themselves in the British culture by partaking in 8unique experiences.
Visits will include the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, London Eye and Westminster
Abbey. A trip to London is not complete without visiting the royal landmarks of Buckingham
Palace and Kensington Palace and viewing the changing of the guard. Also included
is a guided tour through the English countryside with a stop at the mysterious Stonehenge.
Students will also learn about the art, food drink, customs, sports and traditions
of England. The trip is planned for March, and will be led by Kathleen Westfall,
kwestfall@defiance.edu and Chris Medjesky, cmedjesky@defiance.edu

Imagine London 2

For those students who really want to travel to London but can’t do it over Spring
Break, this trip, led by Tina Mohring, kmohring@defiance.edu and Brad Harsha, provides you the opportunity to do just that. This trip is planned
for May, and is designed to create an inexpensive travel experience attainable for
students that otherwise could not afford to participate. Participants will spend
three to four days in London exploring the city’s history, politics, art, theater,
professional sports, climate and daily life.

Honors International Study

The Carolyn M. Small Honors Program offers its members the opportunity to travel internationally
each academic year. The trip will be accompanied by an academic course focused on
the various aspects of the location chosen for the international trip. The course
and the travel will engage students during the spring semester, 2015. The sites being
explored for spring break, 2015 are Nicaragua and Panama. Mary Ann Studer, mstuder@defiance.edu will be leading this experience.

DC Domestic

Imagine Detroit

Each year, the Criminal Justice Society travels to a metropolitan location. The purpose
is to expose students, over their four-years of study, to multiple cultures, regions
and criminal justice agencies. Led by Steve Sondergaard, ssondergaard@defiance.edu, this trip of 25 students will travel to Detroit, MI on March 18, 2015 through March
20, 2015. Tours include the Detroit Police Department, Wayne County Jail, Wayne County
Medical Examiner and the United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue Station.